This eight-song album is a collaboration between the acclaimed rock icon and musician, songwriter, and producer Daniel Lanois, known for his work with U2, Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Brian Eno, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, The Neville Brothers and many others. As producer or co-producer Lanois won Grammy Awards in 1987, 1992, 1997, 2000, and 2001.
Young and Lanois have crossed paths musically over the course of many years, including Lanois' performances at Young's Bridge School Benefit Concert and Young's performance at Farm Aid when Lanois was Willie Nelson's music director, but this is the first time the two have recorded together. Recorded in Lanois' home in the Silverlake area of Los Angeles, ‘Le Noise’ features Young on acoustic and electric guitars with Lanois adding his trademark sonic textures, creating one of the most sonically arresting albums Young has ever recorded. No band, no overdubs, just ‘a man on a stool and me doing a nice job on the recording,’ as Lanois puts it.
‘Neil was so appreciative of the sonics that we presented to him,’ Lanois says. ‘He walked in the door and I put an acoustic guitar into his hands - one that I had been working on to build a new sound. That's the multi-layered acoustic sound that you hear on the songs 'Love and War' and 'Peaceful Valley Boulevard.' I wanted him to understand that I've spent years dedicated to the sonics in my home and that I wanted to give him something he'd never heard before. He picked up that instrument, which had everything - an acoustic sound, electronica, bass sounds - and he knew as soon as he played it that we had taken the acoustic guitar to a new level. It's hard to come up with a new sound at the back end of 50 years of rock and roll, but I think we did it.’ read more..
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I like this CD, but... by mr x
I like this CD like I do most of Neil Young's work, but I'm having a hard time hearing the wizardry of Daniel Lanois. It looks like DL added a bit of echo to the guitar and occasionally the vocals, but after the self-important interviews I read with DL where he said he was going to lead Neil to the promised land with that patented Lanois touch, I thought there was going to be something new and amazing in the sound. Maybe there is, if you have a $3000 stereo, which I sadly do not. That's not a criticism - I like the sound and songs on the album. I just want to hear what is new and special or have someone explain it to me. Echoey Neil is fine with me, but was DL full of self-promoting hooey? Discuss.
